As soon as we left the bustle of New York City and before our plane even touched down in Maine, a wild blueberry field relaxation mode started to set in. As for feeling in a vacation mode, it certainly didn’t hurt that we stayed in the gorgeous water-front Bar Harbor Inn. It was cute and the staff was so helpful after Lyssie’s luggage didn’t arrive (the whole twin thing confused our ticket agents at LaGuardia—they stapled our luggage claim receipts together but forgot to label Lyssie’s bag!)! Plus, the views were absolutely stunning—it looked right over the water!

Next, it was off to the wild blueberry processing plant and the fields! Lyssie’s luggage arrived just in the nick of time (phew!)! She needed her rain boots and her coat!

Fun Nutrition Twins traveling fact: On the way to the wild blueberry processing plant we passed the KOA campground in Acadia National Park where we stayed for several days when we were 8 years old on our family vacay! It was there where a seagull stole our Mom’s shoe that she had just gotten at the Maine Bass outlet.

First up: Wyman’s processing plant—the same brand of frozen wild blueberries that we buy at our NYC market (Wyman’s of Maine!). We got an insider look at how they hustle to make sure that the blueberries are picked at the peak of ripeness and then individually quick-frozen within 24 hours of harvest (this is nature’s pause button!) to lock in their intense blueberry flavor, nutrition and antioxidant power. We learned that 99% of wild blueberries are frozen because they naturally have a more delicate skin than conventional blueberries so they are harder to transport. It was incredible to watch the process. Tammy went in the freezer with the blueberries (it was -40 degrees! Yep, NEGATIVE 40 degrees in the freezer!)—Lyssie opted out—which was perfectly fine by her, as she still was able to sample the berries right after they were flash frozen!

Next, it was on to one of our absolute highlights of the trip–the wild blueberry fields! Wow, they were spectacular (our photo doesn’t do it justice!). They stretched as far as the eye could see. And even though it was raining and chilly, it was perfect for the wild blueberries—that’s just how they like it—and that’s why they only grow up north. In fact, they’ve grown there for 10,000 years! So they are strong, and can survive the harsh winters up there! And as you can see, the wild blueberries grow close to the ground and we learned this works well for them as the snow actually acts like a blanket for them in the winter!

Here we are with our friends– some of the amazing wild blueberry PR team members and some of our fellow RDs and bloggers! That’s us there in the middle—yep the rain didn’t help our hair one bit, and in true fashion, Tammy’s eyes are shut! 🙂

Next we got to rake the blueberries! This was one of our fave parts! Cool to get a workout in  It’s really hard work for the farmers who do it all day long! Check out our video of us raking the blueberries—you’ll see how much work it requires and why 80% of the blueberries are now mechanically raked 🙂 .

Here’s Lyssie hard at work…

And here’s Tammy (although based on her lack of blueberries she either had just dumped her collection or she wasn’t working too hard after all!)… There in the background is Mike Collins—Ethos PR company’s Senior Marketing Strategist.

And as RDs we of course have to share some amazing facts about wild blueberries—since we all know that blueberries are nutritional powerhouses! However, wild blueberries actually have twice the fiber and the antioxidants of even regular blueberries! Wowzers!!!!! In case you’re wondering why, they have a higher concentration of the flavonoid anthocyanin, a phytochemical found in blue-pigmented fruit. And the fiber is higher because of the greater skin-to-pulp ratio compared the larger cultivated blueberries.
Of course it only makes sense that after picking blueberries, watching them get flash frozen and learning all about them and their nutritional goodness, we were spoiled by some wild blueberry inspired meals from Havana! Each course contains wild blueberries! Yum!

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Clean and wash tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Peel garlic and shallots and finely chop. Wash basil, pick off the leaves and pat dry. Reserve some basil leaves for garnishing and cut the remaining leaves into thin strips.
Mix tomatoes, garlic, shallots and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil to bottom of bowl and mix everything together. Let stand at least 2 hours. Gently fold in Wild Blueberries.
Place cut slices of bread on baking sheets. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove from oven and run cut garlic over each slice.
Evenly spread tomato-blueberry mixture over the bread slices. Garnish with remaining basil and serve.
Makes about 24 pieces.

Clean and wash tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Peel garlic and shallots and finely chop. Wash basil, pick off the leaves and pat dry. Reserve some basil leaves for garnishing and cut the remaining leaves into thin strips.

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

[…] And just a little 411: Prepare your taste buds to be spoiled! The flavor of Wild Blueberries is wildly and delightfully different than the regular blueberries you find in the produce section. Wild Blueberries are truly wild (they aren’t planted and can only be harvested where they grow naturally – in Maine and Eastern Canada). So they pack more intense blueberry flavor into their tiny blue bodies than any other blueberry on this big blue planet – making them the blueberry of choice for anyone interested in cooking, baking, making smoothies and more. You can learn more about where Wild Blueberries come from in this post about our trip to the Wild Blueberry Barrens last summer! […]

[…] What really sends this cookie skyrocketing above and beyond the delicious (and nutritious) edge is the Wild Blueberries. Wild Blueberries have TWICE the antioxidants compared to regular blueberries! So don’t be fooled by their smaller size they pack a powerful punch. They’re jammed-packed with a variety of natural phytochemicals such as anthocyanins which prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals so they keep your cells healthy! They truly are Mother Nature’s perfect berry; a superfruit. But don’t be fooled into looking for them in the produce section – 99% of the Wild Blueberry crop is frozen within 24 hours of harvest, locking in all that delicious flavor and nutrients. So head to the frozen fruit section of your local grocery store to find Wild Blueberries: just make sure the package says wild and then, keep them in your own freezer so you can add a huge nutrient and flavor boost to your dishes (and so you can make these cookies whenever you crave them!) And just a little 411: Prepare your taste buds to be spoiled! The flavor of Wild Blueberries is wildly and delightfully different than the regular blueberries you find in the produce section. Wild Blueberries are truly wild (they aren’t planted and can only be harvested where they grow naturally – in Maine and Eastern Canada). So they pack more intense blueberry flavor into their tiny blue bodies than any other blueberry on this big blue planet – making them the blueberry of choice for anyone interested in cooking, baking, making smoothies and more. You can learn more about where Wild Blueberries come from in this post about our trip to the Wild Blueberry Barrens last summer! […]

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Hi, We're The Nutrition Twins, registered dietitians & personal trainers. Our passion for making healthy living tempting & fun began long before we started our nutrition education and our days of writing books and making media appearances. We grew up in a household where our parents thought it was important to live a healthy lifestyle. Both of our parents were basically hippies – minus the...LEARN MORE | FUN FACTS